Part 3, Seven Places of the Mind: Notes from a Native Daughter Summary and Analysis

Didion grew up in the Sacramento Valley. The Sacramento Valley has a varied history, beginning with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Fort, causing the mass immigration of settlers from all over the country. This mass immigration changed the nature of the valley, creating the world Didion grew up in. The area was a mass of farms when Didion grew up there, spending her days swimming in the rivers and chasing dogs through the fields. The Sacramento Valley of Didion's youth was a place rich in history and family.

In later years, an aerospace company settled in the area and once again things began to change. The sense of history and family began to disappear. Didion returns to the area after...